


The Latrine

by justalittlegreen



Series: Sunshine and Filth [37]
Category: MASH (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 20:15:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19837744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justalittlegreen/pseuds/justalittlegreen
Summary: "Okay, okay, fine." She takes a deep breath and sighs, scrubbing at her eyes with the heels of her hands. "Why'd you send it?"





	The Latrine

Korea, 1952

Hawkeye stumbles into the latrine, fumbling with his fly and spraying both his boots before he finally gets his aim right. He leans his head back in relief, even as the stench makes his guts swim halfway up his throat. Now, where is that letter? Hawkeye plans to throw it down the hole (the last one had been blasted in the autoclave; the three before that, the heating stove, and one before that fed to Radar's goat) and follow it with something resolutely destructive once he sits down.

The crumpled envelope in his shirt pocket should hold a cramped confession, the stupidest thing he's ever written (on the heels of so many other things that'd briefly held the title.) He always seals the envelopes. Even stamps some of them. He always writes them at his drunkest. Tonight's been one of the worst - Beej in post-op, Frank away, and little for Hawkeye to do but get rapidly drunker while sneaking looks at BJ's letters from Peg and beating himself up.

It's only when his father's next letter arrives: _Dear Hawkeye, I haven't heard from you in a month. I hope you're all right._ that an ugly feeling starts to creep into Hawkeye's temples. Had there been two letters that night? 

Hawkeye slowly counts backwards. Army mail gets lost all the time. This isn't the first time a letter to his dad has been delayed. He remembers writing it, sealing it, stamping it a week ago, sticking it in his shirt pocket before going back to the Swamp to get sloshed - 

Damnit.

Mill Valley, 1954

Peggy chases BJ to the store with a list of things she could definitely wait to buy, but Hawkeye leaves tomorrow and she still hasn't had the chance to talk with him. Sure, there's been talking - in and out of bed, about childhoods, the war, travels and dreams - everything but what's brought them together. BJ gives her a Look as he takes the list, gives her a peck on the lips and whispers, "Don't do anything rash," before he ducks out.

Hawkeye comes out of the bathroom, catches the car pulling out. "Ah," he says. "Alone at last."

Peggy heads for the couch and stretches out on it, folding her hands behind her head. "Come sit, Hawkeye."

He sits on the end of the couch by her feet, and she nuzzles his hip with her toes, to put him at ease, let him know she's not about to burn whatever this is down. He takes her foot and starts to massage it, digging his thumbs deliberately into her arch and she sighs, low and deep with pleasure. They sit like that for awhile, quiet but for the hush of his thumbs on her socks and her occasional contented moan.

"Peg," he says finally, "BJ's going to be back soon and I know you didn't send him to the store because you need more gin."

"How do I know _you_ don't?" she asks playfully. 

He stops, squeezes her foot like punctuation. "Out with it?" He's not comfortable demanding anything of her, but it's clear she wants something out.

"Okay, okay, fine." She takes a deep breath and sighs, scrubbing at her eyes with the heels of her hands. "Why'd you send it."

The air shifts palpably. He doesn't ask what she's talking about.

"The real question," he says quietly, "is why I didn't immediately follow it with another letter as soon as I realized I'd actually sent it."

"You didn't mean to send it?"

"I was drunk. There were two letters in my pocket. One is buried beneath a pile of - well, buried in what used to be a latrine in Korea. My poor dad thought something happened to me when he didn't hear from me for awhile."

"But when you realized the mistake..."

"I wrote you a hundred drafts explaining it was all a terrible mistake, that I didn't mean any of it, that I'd put in for a transfer - I did, by the way."

"Did what?"

"Put in for a transfer. Our CO wouldn't let me."

"I'm glad he didn't," she says quietly.

He chuckles humorlessly. "When I finally got your reply, I couldn't believe it. I spent months waiting for the hammer to drop."

"I was...."

"Come on. You were furious. Disgusted. You had to be."

"I won't deny it," she admits.

The screen door swings open and they hear the whine of it shutting. "Peg? Hawkeye?" BJ calls from the kitchen. "Damn, I love saying that. Can I say that? I love coming home to both of you. Even just from the store."

Hawkeye's grin begins to show itself. "To be continued?" he asks Peg, placing her feet on the ground.

"We've got years, Ben Franklin," she says. He looks up at the name, his mouth quirking as they go to meet BJ in the kitchen.


End file.
